The invention relates to a device preferably in the form of a ceramic trimmer that is useful in treating soft tissue such as gingival tissue in an individual. The device is capable of soft tissue modelling and heat coagulating the soft tissue when the device in rotary motion is contacting the soft tissue. The device is preferably used in the area of therapy or surgery carried out on the human or animal body.
The prior art discloses drilling devices and dental tips for treatment of hard tissue such as bone and various non-vascular tissues such as cartilage. Such tissues essentially do not contain any body fluids and heat coagulation is therefore not an issue to be considered when treating these non-vascular tissues. The prior art neither discloses treatment of soft body tissue that results in heat coagulation of said soft tissue, nor does the prior art disclose a method of treatment that leads to an improved hemostasis by means of heat coagulation during soft tissue treatment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,785 relates to a percutaneous tissue removal apparatus for cutting hard tissue such as for example bone, cartilage and fetal tissue. Heat coagulation of soft tissue or hemostasis of soft tissue is not disclosed and does not occur in a treatment of hard tissue in accordance with the disclosure of the patent.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,370 discloses a dental tip for use in periodental treatment such as a method of removing dental calculus. The dental tip is not for use with soft tissue, and a heat coagulating effect of soft tissue is not disclosed.
In one aspect of the present invention there is provided a device for treatment of soft tissue, said device comprising a distal end portion comprising a heat-insulating material and a proximal end portion in the form of a non-flexible drill shaft capable of being in operational contact with a power source for generating a rotary motion of said distal end portion, said rotary motion resulting in a heat coagulation of said soft tissue being contacted under practical circumstances by at least said rotating distal end comprising said heat-insulating material.
The device according to the invention is particularly useful in the field of dentistry and provides a means for improving various forms of treatment including gingival tissue modelling, removing mucous membranes, mucous lined tissues and hyper-plastic gingival tissue, exposing a tooth at least partly covered by a mucous membrane or mucous lined tissue, laceration of interradiculary granulation tissue, exposing an intraosseous implant or part thereof, and poche opening in connection with making a dental impression.
Furthermore, due to the frictional energy released when rotating the device a cutting effect is obtained in addition to the coagulation. Thus, the device is suitable for use in treatments wherein the combined cutting and coagulation of soft tissues are desired.
The device is capable of being fitted in any conventional dentistry apparatus useful for performing a drilling action. In particular the device is capable of being fitted into a friction grip shaft, such as shaft of a diameter of 1.6 mm. In addition to resulting in an improved heat coagulation and/or hemostasis of soft tissue being contacted by the rotating distal end comprising the heat-insulating material, the device is also useful in achieving even and well modelled surfaces of a wound as well as an improved hemostasis. The device also represents an improvement when it is desirable to produce or clean a poche opening e.g. in connection with a dental impression.
In one aspect the invention provides a method of heat coagulating soft tissue, said method comprising the steps of
i) providing a device according to the present invention,
ii) providing an individual in need of soft tissue treatment,
iii) contacting said soft tissue by at least said distal end portion of said device, and
iv) heat coagulating said soft tissue by means of said rotary motion of at least said distal end portion.
In yet another aspect there is provided a method of removing or modelling gingival tissue, said method comprising the steps of
i) providing a device according to the present invention,
ii) providing an individual in need of gingival tissue removal,
iii) contacting said gingival tissue by at least said distal end portion of said device,
iv) removing or modelling said gingival tissue by means of said rotary motion of at least said distal end portion of said device, said rotary motion further resulting in heat coagulating said gingival tissue being contacted under practical circumstances by at least said rotating distal end.
The above method may also pertain to removing gingival tissue in the form of hyperplastic gingival tissue.
Yet another aspect of the present invention pertains to a method of lacerating interradiculary granulation tissue, said method comprising the steps of
i) providing a device according to the present invention,
ii) providing an individual in need of interradiculary granulation tissue laceration,
iii) contacting said granulation tissue with at least said distal end portion of said device, and
iv) lacerating said interradiculary granulation tissue by means of said rotary motion of at least said distal end portion of said device, said rotary motion further resulting in heat coagulating said interradiculary granulation tissue being contacted under practical circumstances by at least said rotating distal end.
In a further aspect there is provided a method of exposing a tooth or an intraosseous implant, or part thereof, at least partly covered by a mucous membrane or mucous lined tissue, said method comprising the steps of
i) providing a device according to the present invention,
ii) providing an individual in need of exposure of a tooth at least partly covered by a mucous membrane or mucous lined tissue,
iii) contacting said mucous membrane or mucous lined tissue with said distal end portion of said device,
iv) exposing said tooth at least partly covered by a mucous membrane or mucous lined tissue by means of said rotary motion of said distal end portion of said device, said rotary motion resulting in a heat coagulation of said mucous membrane or mucous lined tissue being contacted under practical circumstances by at least said rotating distal end.
In a yet further aspect there is provided a method of cleaning a poche e.g. when making a dental impression, said method comprising the steps of
i) providing a device according to the present invention,
ii) providing an individual in need of poche cleaning,
iii) contacting said poche with said distal end portion of said device,
iv) cleaning said poche by means of said rotary motion of said distal end portion of said device, said rotary motion resulting in a heat coagulation of soft tissue comprised in said poche being contacted under practical circumstances by at least said rotating distal end.
In a further aspect there is provided the use of a ceramic drill tip in the manufacture of a device for treatment of soft tissue, said device comprising a distal end portion comprising said ceramic drill tip and a proximal end portion in the form of a non-flexible drill shaft capable of being in operational contact with a power source for generating a rotary motion of at least said distal end portion, said rotary motion resulting in a heat coagulation of said soft tissue being contacted under practical circumstances by at least said rotary distal end comprising said ceramic drill tip.
There is also provided the use of a ceramic drill tip in the manufacture of a device for treatment of soft tissue, said device comprising a distal end portion comprising said ceramic drill tip and a proximal end portion in the form of a non-flexible drill shaft capable of being in operational contact with a power source for generating a rotary motion of at least said distal end portion, said rotary motion resulting in hemostasis of said soft tissue being contacted under practical circumstances by at least said rotary distal end comprising said ceramic drill tip.